To:THEODORE ROTHSTEIN[1]

Published:First published in 1930.

      Sent from Geneva to London.

      Printed from the original.Source:Lenin
	  Collected Works,

      Progress Publishers,1974,

      Moscow,Volume 34,

      pages375-376.Translated:Clemens DuttTranscription\Markup:D. MorosPublic Domain:Lenin Internet Archive

      (2005).You may freely copy, distribute,
	display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and
	commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet
	Archive” as your source.•README

January 29, 1908

DearComrade,

Abouttwo-and-a-half to three months ago in Finland I received your letter with
the reminder about the debt, which I handed over to the
C.C.[2]Now
the “Finnish smash-up” has compelled me to move to Geneva, involving
consider able time and trouble. Today one of the comrades here has told me that
you are insistently reminding about the debt and that the Englishman is even
threatening publication in the press (!), etc.

Ishall immediately write again to Russia to say that the debt must be
repaid. But, you know, it isextremelydifficult to do this now! The
Finnish smash-up, the arrests of many comrades, the seizure of papers, the need
to remove printing-presses and to send many comrades abroad—all this has
entailedheavyand unforeseen expenditure. The Party’s financial
plight is all the more unfortunate because during two years everyone has grown
out of the habit of working illegally and has been “spoilt” by legal
or semi-legal activities. Secret organisations have had to be organised almost
afresh. This is costing a mint of money. And all the intellectualist, philistine
elements are abandoning the Party; the exodus of the intelligentsia is
enormous. Those remaining are pure proletarians who have no opportunity of
making open collections.

Itshould be explained to the Englishman and brought home to him that the
conditions at the time of the Second Duma when the loan was made were quite
different, that the Party will, of course, pay its debts, but it is impossible,
inconceivable to demand this justnow, that it would be usury, and so
on.

Wemust convince the Englishman. It is hardly likely
he will be able to get the money. And making a row will
lead him nowhere.

IfI am not mistaken, the members of thefactionssigned
separately and the responsibility is byfactionstoo.

Allthe best.Yours,N. Lenin

P.S.Not knowing your address, I have written to Quelch, asking him to
obtain some literature.I am extremely grateful to him; I’m
afraid he can’t always make out my terrible English!

Myaddress is: VI. Oulianoff, 17, Rue des deux Ponts, Genève.

[1]Rothstein,Theodore Aronovich(1871–1953)—a Social-Democrat. In
1890 he was compelled to emigrate from Russia. Settled in England joined
the English Social-Democratic Federation where he adhered to its Left
wing. Joined the R.S.D.L.P. in 1901. Contributed to the Russian and foreign
socialist press. Took part in founding the Communist Party of Great
Britain. Returned home in 1920. From 1921 to 1930 engaged in diplomatic
work, afterwards Director of the Institute of World Economy and World
Politics. From 1939 an Academician.

[2]Duringthe Fifth (London) Congress of the R.S.D.L.P. (April 30–May 19 [May
13–June I], 1907), owing to the Party’s extremely difficult financial
position, a loan was raised with the help of Maxim Gorky and
George Lansbury, the money being advanced by an English soap manufacturer
and was to be repaid by January 1, 1908. The loan not being repaid in time,
the lender wrote to Theodore Rothstein, reminding him about it,and the latter, then a member of the English Social-Democratic Party, wrote
to Lenin about it.

Afterthe October Revolution the Soviet Government, through L. B. Krasin,
repaid the debt to the lender’s heirs who returned the letter acknowledging
the debt signed by all the participants of the Congress.